Ok, first off, I'm not going elk hunting with a .260 Rem. What I am trying to do is suggest an accurate, flat shooting handy little rifle for a buddy of mine for Mt.goats, dall sheep, black bear and up to caribou in Alaska. The reason I'm asking here is well, if it will work on an elk it will do great on the animals mentioned. I have no experience with the .260 so I would like some first hand accounts on it's performance. I've read a great deal about it and it sounds good but I'd rather here from someone who's BT/DT. thanks

I'd use it w/confidence to sane ranges - 300-400 yds, IF the shooter will put the bullet thru vitals, using a good bullet esp. in 129-140 grain. Many bullets will work very well, but a 130 Accubond is a great place to start IME.

Might go w/a 140 Partition on the bear, if not the wonderful penetrating 130 TTSX Barnes. A 120 Barnes TSX is also a very good bullet IMHO for large game, proven on larger game by a member here who took it to Africa w/120 TSX IIRC.

I've never shot an elk with a 260, but have shot both Kudu and Eland with a 6.5x55. An Eland is bigger/tougher than most elk that I've seen, so if you are shooting a properly constructed bullet and can hit your POA, you should be OK. The smallest cartridge that I've used to shoot elk was a 7x57 and that elk died within a few steps.

Thanks for the replies so far. Just wanted to hear, (or not) that it's performence on game was as good as I've read on paper. The 7mm08 and .308 were other short actions I had thought about mentioning but I'm still thinking the .260 has the edge in trajectory/penetration. Let me know if I'm thinking wrong.

My daughter shot 4 elk and 4 deer with a 7-08. She started hunting at 12 so I used 140 grain Partitions and a starting level powder charge to keep recoil modest. It worked just fine, then she turned 16 and she has been too busy to hunt since. With that experience I would not hesitate to use the 260.

No problem at all with the .260 and elk. I have killed a few truck loads of big critters with a 6.5-06, which is only 200 fps faster than the .260. It is the hammer of Thor on critters. My favorite bullets are the 120 grain Nosler Ballistic tips for deer sized game and 140 grain Hornady Flat Base spire points for everything else. You DON"T need premium bullets for the .260 and I DON'T recommend them. The low velocity makes them work more like a full metal jacket. Cup and core bullets are the bomb in this smaller round. My overall choice is the 140 grain grain Hornady for everything across the board. Great bullet for velocities under 2,900 fps. It works every time all the time. I haven't been able to get it to blow apart, or fail to mushroom, no matter the range it is shot at. Flinch

I agree with Flinch. I killed a Cow elk last Oct with my Swede and the 140 IL at 2525mv. One Hornady thru the ribs worked perfect. Swede's and 260 Rem are twins, and you can actually shoot them, kill stuff, and have fun all at the same time.

6.5 BR: I have no experience w/elk but I use 270/130 Core Lokts for whitetail, 100-200 lbs. Over the years I have observed they are a little tougher than Hornady ils, WHICH I USE. The Core Lokts work fine but the expansion is a little less than Hornady. (same cal. & wt)

6.5 BR: Just a little more info. I run the 130s at 3100fps or more in the 270s, no matter which bullet I use. Both the Hornady and Core Lokts work well but the Core Lokts opens a little less, which means penetration would be better.

IIRC 250 yds is about as far as I've shot a whitetail w/270. My preferred shot is broadside behind the shoulder. I don't take the straight on or the hole in one shots. Even with close shots both bullets work well but the Core Lokts give less bloodshot area which is good.

I've read a couple of times on the fire someone calling the Rems, core loss. That has never been my experience. I've not found any bullet fragments, all have been pass thrus.

NOTE, the 270 130 is the only Rem Core Lokt I've used to any extent and NO 6.5s. I expect you will test and compare your caliber and weight for terminal performance. I also expect you to find good results. I would like to know if you're not satisfied with them.

We've been using the 260 with great success on elk... stopped counting how many had fallen to the little guns at a half dozen... admittedly haven't seen a big bull shot with one yet. Based on the amount of damage and the penetration shown to date, I'd not hesitate to dump a big bill with a 260.

140 NPT, 140 SGK, and 140 NAB at MV from 2600 to 2750 all work fine. SGKs are the easiest to catch, they're pretty fragile. The Noslers, not so much.

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"Your range of experience runs that gamut from A to B, plus you're a nitwit. That's a hard combination to overcome, though some people try." - JB

260 pushing factory 140 SGKs seemed to work okay. The more I shoot it, the more I leave the 300 WM in the safe. Just got the wife a compact for Christmas, and with the limited shooting I've done with it, it seems to look promising.

Note the 2nd cow was after we helped a guy track and gut a cow that he had shot about 10 times with a 270 shooting the never-fail Remington Core-Loks.

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My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein

Well I suppose one can not argue long against the success some have shown with their .260 caliber rifles. I once also took an elk under perfect conditions with a 25/06 but that rifle will never accompany me to the rocky mountains again for hunting elk, speed goats yes but elk no. I will stay with my chose caliber and that is the .338 diameter bullets going out of a .338/06 or my .338 Win mag.

I too have my eye on a 260. But I do wonder when going small really starts to matter. If dropping to a 308, then a 7mm-08, then a 260 doesn't matter, when does it matter assuming decent shot opportunities to the boiler room? Just curious, nothing more. Can't argue with dead critters though! Look forward to loading one up.

I can see where you are coming from. I felt the same way for a long time. One of the reasons I like the 260 so well is how well it mimics trajectory of the 300 WM. Higher BC also plays a roll for me, however, I say shoot what you are comfortable shooting.

If you are able to shoot a 460 Weatherby comfortably, and not flinch, but all means do so. 300 Win Mag is about my threshold for pain when it comes to recoil, and after shooting it a bit, I can manage it, however, it is not necessary, nor IMO recommendable for a beginner hunter to go out and get the biggest baddest gun he can find so he can show how large his huevos are.

There's a 243 in the safe that doesn't get used, it keeps the 300 WM company. YMMV, but from what I have seen out of a 260, it is going to be my "go to" for a long long time.

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My goal in life is to be as good of a person as my dog already thinks I am.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. - Albert Einstein

I've read a couple of times on the fire someone calling the Rems, core loss. That has never been my experience.

JWALL

I sat beside one of my friends (about 5 years ago) on a snowy hillside in Idaho and watched him shoot an average 6X5 bull at about 125 yards with a 7mm Rem mag. and 175gr. factory loaded Core Lokts. After the first shot (which hit perfectly behind the shoulders)the bull turned an walked uphill. My friend shot again and hit the bull right in the shoulders. The bull kept walking.....the third shot was also in the shoulders and the bull then turned downhill and walked about 40 yards before collapsing. He had to be shot in the neck a fourth time to die. The autopsy showed that all three 175gr. 7mm Core Lokts had mushroom early and big and none of them penetrated more than 2/3 of the way through the elk broadside. A 7mm Rem Mag. is a fine elk cartridge if you use good bullets and with good bullets, one shot anywhere in the chest cavity or in the shoulders is all you should need. I dont know about all Core Lokt bullets in all weights or all calibers, but the 175gr. 7mm bullet is far too soft.

All bullets are not created equal NOR behave similarly when impacting at varying speeds.

No doubt, the 7 mag is proven and Corelokts, yet the combo? Depends.

What I do know about them, I fired a 7mm TCU 14" handgun at point blank range into a creosote post and dug it out, it was the 150 gr, a bullet that IIRC Rem designed w/a dual bearing surface if you will, shorter riding surface area to lower friction.

None the less, I have that bullet somewhere, it looked 'Ad pic perfect' a NICE fat mushroom w/o fragmentation. Granted my MV was around 2,000 but I shot point blank range and it went thru alot of wood. I was actually fairly impressed. It was not 'field performance test' but it gave me confidence accuracy/trajectory aside, they WILL hold together well.

Mattman, when the 7/08 came out, the 140gr load actually used 139 Hornady's for a long time. Not sure if or how many other 'corelokt' loads might have used Hornady IL's but suffice to say NOW they latest 140 CL load is named 'NEW' and apparently is a different bullet. How it's construction might vary from older 'corelokts' or true corelokts - not Hornady's I cannot say.

What I do know is the 6.5 CL's fly flat, killed many deer w/120s, VERY effectively - as in all dropped on the spot w/6.5x55. In 140 gr in 6.5, I find they often are just more accurate and seem to hold up a good bit better on longer shots, like 400 yds, vs. the 120 version, and that likely is applicable to other bullets in that caliber as well.

Nice post/pics of the elk kills above.

I hear you PRM about 'when does going smaller' get too much so.

Yet my response is even though one may drop from 30 cal down to 6.5, when you use a 140 class bullet, your mass in the bullet is a great deal more than a 6mm, and often a good bit more than a 25 cal, so I think 6.5 is perhaps a 'threshold. Not that a good 25 or 6mm won't work w/good bullets, they will.

Every shooter has their limits and should know them. Inside that, every bullet has their's also, and when that is placed w/in it's 'window of effectiveness' if you will, it works.

I.E., A varmint bullet is NOT necessarily going to fail, or be WRONG, on a large animal "IF" the shooter KNOWS he must go for head/neck shots. Yet, for everyday use w/o the need to 'hold fire' on a variety of shot angles, true 'game bullet's" will provide more latitude in where you must hit to kill.

I think that 7 mag/175 CL elk, was dead on it's feet and just had not realized it yet Sometimes those big animals can absorb alot of lead before they give up the ghost.

That said, a Partition are Accubond, or even Barnes might be my pick on a fast Magnum round that might see duty at close range on large animals. I well recall Warren Page taking one at around 475yds w/7mm Mashburn using 175 partitions. Slower impact speed helsp penetration as well.

Well I suppose one can not argue long against the success some have shown with their .260 caliber rifles. I once also took an elk under perfect conditions with a 25/06 but that rifle will never accompany me to the rocky mountains again for hunting elk, speed goats yes but elk no. I will stay with my chose caliber and that is the .338 diameter bullets going out of a .338/06 or my .338 Win mag.

is a 260 an ideal elk round? no prolly not but with one in hand i wouldnt hesitate to go after elk......with good bullets it has no problem punching through an elks vitals and that is what matters....if you prefer to use a 338 have at it, ive got a 338-06 i would prolly use more if it didnt weight over 9 pounds ready to hunt....i really didnt think that build out to well thinking i need to get either one of the Ruger Africans in 9.3x62 or get a long actioned Kimber and rebarrel it to such for my "big" rifle....

If your gonna chase elk with a 260, use 140s, NAB, NPT, HIL, in that order...

If your rifle won't seem to stabilize 140s, slap yourself, HARD, for settling for a 9 twist and drop down to a 130 or 129 of similar construction.

If you don't have the ability to reload, get Federal Premium 140 SGKs, and start saving for a press. The SGK will NOT punch through heavy bone and keep trucking, nor will it work to shoot them up the azz with. Stick it in the boiler room, and schitt's gonna die, and die quick...

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"Your range of experience runs that gamut from A to B, plus you're a nitwit. That's a hard combination to overcome, though some people try." - JB

I'd use it on elk, with tough premium bullets, maybe they're not needed to bag one, but if things go bad, I'd like the extra bullet integrity and penetration. It looks like people here have bagged elk with standard c-n-c bullets without issue using the 260 though. Just my two cents.

I like the 120 tsx and 140 Nosler AB in my .260 Rems. Wouldn't hesitate to use either on elk. Coreloks never - had a 180 grainer blow up on a elk shoulder at 200 yards out of a 300 win mag. Broke the leg, but no penetration. He was shot 3 weeks later by a hunter on the same ranch. Leg broken, but feeding away and wound was mostly healed. After telling that story a few times, I've heard 20 similar experiences with them. With all the money and time I put into hunting, there simply is no reason not to use a premium bullet.

I personally don't believe the .260 has enough going for it to take on mature bull elk in the wild. I did it once with a 25/06 but everything was darn near perfect that day and I did have a perfect broadside presentation under 200 yards. NOPE! I say the .30-06 should be the smallest caliber attempted to take bull elk. I'll drop down to the .270 Winchester for cows though with premium bullets like the 160 grn Nosler partition.

I personally don't believe the .260 has enough going for it to take on mature bull elk in the wild. I did it once with a 25/06 but everything was darn near perfect that day and I did have a perfect broadside presentation under 200 yards. NOPE! I say the .30-06 should be the smallest caliber attempted to take bull elk. I'll drop down to the .270 Winchester for cows though with premium bullets like the 160 grn Nosler partition.

two years ago my daughter and i came up on a heavy 6x6 bull we coulda killed with a rock, daughter only had a cow tag in her pocket though.....

as i said is the 260 an ideal elk round? no but i wouldnt hesitate to take off after them with mine, my daughters "elk rifle" is a 7-08......a good bullet out of either will take out an elks plumbing if you can shoot half way decent....

I personally don't believe the .260 has enough going for it to take on mature bull elk in the wild. I did it once with a 25/06 but everything was darn near perfect that day and I did have a perfect broadside presentation under 200 yards. NOPE! I say the .30-06 should be the smallest caliber attempted to take bull elk. I'll drop down to the .270 Winchester for cows though with premium bullets like the 160 grn Nosler partition.

No first hand experience with it on elk , but a friend of mine bought a model 7 youth for his grandson in 260 several years ago. The grandson is still shooting that rifle ( put the full size stock on it) and has laid low a slew of antelope,deer and elk, and a cougar with that rifle. It's the ballistic twin to the 6.5 swede and that ol girl has a long and healthy track record on things from tiny to quite large. Get your 260 put it thru the paces and find your best load for it. If you put a bullet where it needs to go, you won't be disappointed. Elk shot in the ass with a 338 a half dozen times won't be any deader than one shot thru the heart/lungs one time with a 260.

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the most expensive bullet there is isn't worth a plug nickel if it don't go where its supposed to.

I personally don't believe the .260 has enough going for it to take on mature bull elk in the wild. I did it once with a 25/06 but everything was darn near perfect that day and I did have a perfect broadside presentation under 200 yards. NOPE! I say the .30-06 should be the smallest caliber attempted to take bull elk. I'll drop down to the .270 Winchester for cows though with premium bullets like the 160 grn Nosler partition.

Shoot 'em where they live with a 260 and they die... and I've seen more DRT bang flops on elk with 260s than any other caliber... maybe cause we quit hunting with anything else. Elk ain't exactly bullet proof, and no amount of slug will make up for crappy shooting.

Edited by MattMan (01/01/1107:26 PM)

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"Your range of experience runs that gamut from A to B, plus you're a nitwit. That's a hard combination to overcome, though some people try." - JB

I personally don't believe the .260 has enough going for it to take on mature bull elk in the wild. I did it once with a 25/06 but everything was darn near perfect that day and I did have a perfect broadside presentation under 200 yards. NOPE! I say the .30-06 should be the smallest caliber attempted to take bull elk. I'll drop down to the .270 Winchester for cows though with premium bullets like the 160 grn Nosler partition.

IIRC, Craig Boddington took a 260 to Afrika for his Daughter to shoot. I don't believe they had no issues killing things there with a 260. Zebra and Kudu were among the game taken and they are bigger and tougher than Elk.

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I don't drink or Smoke. I spend my money on gunpowder and gasoline.

IIRC, Craig Boddington took a 260 to Afrika for his Daughter to shoot. I don't believe they had no issues killing things there with a 260. Zebra and Kudu were among the game taken and they are bigger and tougher than Elk.

Writer Greg Rodriguez did likewise with his young son and daughter doing the shooting. Ruger 16-1/2" compact poking little holes with the 120 TTSX.

I have shot elk with a 270 and now use 257 weatherby, 260 should have no problems. Shot placement is what counts.

_________________________

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we’ve learned something from yesterday.” The Duke

I think it is a less than ideal choice for a purpose built/purchased rifle to use for bull elk. Will it do it? Yes. Are there far better cartridges, certainly. In fact, I have killed elk with both the 7mm08 and the 260 and prefer the 7mm hands down.

I think the 260 is a very reasonable cartridge for cows and makes a good youth round but it does run short on steam at medium ranges and I wouldn't tout it as a 500 yd elk round. As for using using only cup-core type bullets and shunning premiums, I call BS on that. Have seen too many shot with Partitions to fall for that logic. Partitions work just as well as lower velocities as the core lokts and better at higher velocities.

I don't use mono bullets under 7mm caliber so can't comment on what a TSX would do!

Shot one with a 130 Accubond; went 200 yds and lived at least 45 seconds. Shot was perfect broadside in the lungs. Wasn't real explosive and I suspect that's why he went so far. I kinda like my elk to fall a little sooner.

Thanks again for all the replies, and a reminder not to get all bent out of shape over using a .260 on elk. As stated in my OP, I figure if it will work on a 1300 lb bull elk it will surely work on a 500 lb caribou 350 lb black bear ect... It seems the general consensus is that it will. I'm not into stunt shooting nor am I going to suggest an iffy caliber choice to a buddy.

I don't know where you got your information on African game. While some kudu bulls get pretty big, on average they are not quite as large as big bull elk. They also do not have nearly the reputation for toughness as some other plains game animals.

Zebra size depends on the species, but the most commonly hunted species is also a little smaller than a big bull elk. They do have a reputation for being pretty tough, though my wife killed a big stallion pretty easily with one shot from a .308, using a 150-grain E-Tip, in the right place.

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John

The ultimate concern of a rifle loony is rifle trivia. And why not? What else is as distracting from the really important concerns of everyday life?

Thanks again for all the replies, and a reminder not to get all bent out of shape over using a .260 on elk. As stated in my OP, I figure if it will work on a 1300 lb bull elk it will surely work on a 500 lb caribou 350 lb black bear ect... It seems the general consensus is that it will. I'm not into stunt shooting nor am I going to suggest an iffy caliber choice to a buddy.

..............With proper placement it shouldn`t be a problem. On a video posted here via John Burns, Wayne Van Zwoll used a 6.5 Creedmoor to take a bull elk at 603 yards using a 129 gr Horn SST.

For black bears, caribou and certainly throw in the hogs, a nice handy rifle chambered in the 260 Remy will work just fine.

Good elk tags are much harder to get, and good elk are much harder to find, than they are to shoot/kill. A .260 will absolutely kill an elk. But you won't see me carrying mine on any hunt that matters much to me. I've had only two premium bull tags in my career, and both hunts were more than a fair bit of work. I do everything I can to maximize my prospects for success, and carrying my .260 would not be consistent with that approach.

A ranchland hunt for cows--sure. A hunt where I am covering multiple miles and multiple 1000s of feet of elevation in a day, to MAYBE get one shot--no way am I carrying a .260.

My point exactly. Cow hunts are typically much more easy going, and I never heard anyone say "I just shot/missed/ turned down an shot at the cow of a lifetime." Big bulls are a different bargain. Of course then the question is how much bigger do you have to get to cover your bases.

Good elk tags are much harder to get, and good elk are much harder to find, than they are to shoot/kill. A .260 will absolutely kill an elk. But you won't see me carrying mine on any hunt that matters much to me. I've had only two premium bull tags in my career, and both hunts were more than a fair bit of work. I do everything I can to maximize my prospects for success, and carrying my .260 would not be consistent with that approach.

A ranchland hunt for cows--sure. A hunt where I am covering multiple miles and multiple 1000s of feet of elevation in a day, to MAYBE get one shot--no way am I carrying a .260.

That sums it up pretty good right there. These aren't the "good ole days" for most of us. I would never advocate one of my elk hunting clients bring a 260 Remington as their primary rifle unless they had physical limitations that limited their choices somewhat. This year, other than archery bulls, I had 7mm Rem mag, 300 Winny and a 338-378 WBY. All were more than adequate, however, all took more than one shot!

Good elk tags are much harder to get, and good elk are much harder to find, than they are to shoot/kill. A .260 will absolutely kill an elk. But you won't see me carrying mine on any hunt that matters much to me. I've had only two premium bull tags in my career, and both hunts were more than a fair bit of work. I do everything I can to maximize my prospects for success, and carrying my .260 would not be consistent with that approach.

A ranchland hunt for cows--sure. A hunt where I am covering multiple miles and multiple 1000s of feet of elevation in a day, to MAYBE get one shot--no way am I carrying a .260.

That sums it up pretty good right there. These aren't the "good ole days" for most of us. I would never advocate one of my elk hunting clients bring a 260 Remington as their primary rifle unless they had physical limitations that limited their choices somewhat. This year, other than archery bulls, I had 7mm Rem mag, 300 Winny and a 338-378 WBY. All were more than adequate, however, all took more than one shot!

With all due respect, all took more than one shot because shot #1 wasn't placed well.

Perhaps the recoil of the rifles in question was a bit much for your sports to handle, thereby causing them to flinch just a bit and not place their pill in the boiler room? After all, neurosurgeons don't operate with meat cleavers...they use a scalpel.

Brad, My reloading stuff is still skwirled away in the trailer(and hard to get to) since the divorce, but I use Varget. I'm thinking it was 42 gr? Or was that my 95 vmax load? heck, I can't remember... Clocks at 2850, tho. I do remember that....

No Worries With The 130 TSX. They Will Do The Job,I Killed a 5x5 Two Years Ago In Wyoming.Shot Was About A 80Yd.Bullet Entered Just Above The Heart And Traveled Long Ways and Lodged In The Opposite Ham. He Went About 75 Yd.I Took Alot A Kidding In Camp About Carrying A Pellet Rifle{6.5-284}.Friends was Carrying A 280AI and a 300WSM. Both Killed Elk, But 7 Shots Between The Two.Funny They Didn't Say Much On The Ride Home

No Worries With The 130 TSX. They Will Do The Job,I Killed a 5x5 Two Years Ago In Wyoming.Shot Was About A 80Yd.Bullet Entered Just Above The Heart And Traveled Long Ways and Lodged In The Opposite Ham. He Went About 75 Yd.I Took Alot A Kidding In Camp About Carrying A Pellet Rifle{6.5-284}.Friends was Carrying A 280AI and a 300WSM. Both Killed Elk, But 7 Shots Between The Two.Funny They Didn't Say Much On The Ride Home

I am in the process of deciding on a caliber to hunt elk on Afognak Island in Alaska - and the big choice is between .260 Rem and 308 win. Afognak Elk are Roosevelt Elk and larger than Rocky Mountain elk, and the ones from Afognak Island are even abnormally large for Roosevelt elk. I've see bull elk from Afognak that weighed 1400 pounds - even shot one myself that weighed around 1300 pounds.

Anyway, I have done a lot of elk hunting and all of my elk have been shot with a 300 win mag. But the thing weighs a ton and I don't think I shoot it all that well. And it's not just me. In fact I looked at our group elk hunt statistics and over the years we've shot 15 elk. Non magnum rounds (.308, 270 and 30-06) are 8 for 8. No one has ever failed to kill an elk on our hunts when using a non-magnum. And 4 different people have shot elk with a non-magnum.

With the magnum rounds (300 win mag, 338 win - and also 4 different shooters) the success rate is WAY lower - like 7 out of 15 tries. And only one of those was a wounded animal that got away (A shoulder shot at 50 yards!). All the rest of the failed elk were complete misses or branches etc. And in my defense I was 5 for 5 with elk with the 300 win mag before I had 3 bad shots in a row. And this is why I am dropping the 300 WM.

Anyhow, I own a 270 win and 308 win and 260 rem (in addition to the 300 WM) and am thinking of taking the 260 into the field this year. But it just seems so small. But hard to argue with stats too.

My big worry is long shots. Sometimes on Afognak Island you just can't get any closer when the bulls are out in the middle of a big alpine bowl. Another consideration is weight and compactness. My old 300 WM is a beast. And I am sick of carrying it thru the brush, and up the mountains. On Afognak we generally carry our camp on our backs for 60 miles or so (in 2012 we GPS'd our route as 65 miles). So light and compact means a great deal.

Anyhow, I looked at the ballistics and noted that the 260 seems to carry the punch a bit further downrange than the 308 (I use 140g bullets Sierra Gameking in the 260 and 180g Federal soft point in the 308). Also the 260 has a far higher sectional density. So the 260 is what I am going to go with for elk out to 300 yards - thoughts?

Finally, I will add that I've shot almost 40 sitka blacktail deer, mountain goats, and one reindeer with my 260. I know it well and it seems to drop animals quite decisively out to 400 yards. I like the rifle -only I guess I still don't quite trust it for elk! And finally my 270 has a very long barrel and no ballistic reticule - so I'd prefer to use the short action 308 or 260.

Seems like our moose hunting brothers across the Atlantic made a pretty good run of killing moose on driven hunts and other woodsie type hunting scenario's with the 6.5x55.. There are a slew of great bullets for the 260/6.5 Swede.

Did you use the 140 Sierra for all of the deer and other animals you shot with the 260?

I'd think with a good bullet, it'll work. You shooting it well is probably 95% of the hunt anyhow.

Good luck and take lots of pictures. They are some BIG elk. Never shot a Roosevelt, but I'd love to get into them sometime.

What rarely gets discussed, is that the 6.5 rounds seem to kill way better than they should if you judge them by the paper ballistics. I believe that it is that long bullet spinning extremely rapidly that imparts a very killing impact on an animal. If defies its size.

I have no actual knowledge of a .260 Rem. I'm going to guess that it's close enough to a 6.5 Swede to be its twin. About two decades ago a Finnish dude told me that he and other Scandinavians hunt HUGE Scandinavians moose with the 6.5 Swede, so a .260 Rem ought to work on elk.

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“If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy.”***US President James Madison***

I was going to take my 260 on my Kodiak deer hunt with Art. I was talked out of it. I ended up taking my 300 H&H. It worked fine. The concern was bears. Is it ideal for elk? I don't think it is but will certainly work just fine. My preferred bullet for big game with my 260 is the 140 Sierra game king. Seems to really thrive at this velocity!

I know the 260 rem with 140 sierra gamekings is an excellent Kodiak deer and goat round. It has been my go to rifle for everything but elk until now. And even if it works for elk (hopefully I'll be able to let you know on that one) I do know I would not use it to hunt brown bear.

I carry pepper spray for the bears. Pepper spray works (I used it once) and I'm not sure if I would be able to kill a bear quick before the bear got to me (or even get a shot off) even if I had a 375 HH. So for me the 260 rem is fine.

And as I said I've learned that the 300 win mag or 338 isn't ideal for elk either. I'm hoping I'll actually kill better with the 260 because I'll shoot better with it.

But I have to admit those 260 cartridges just look so darn small. .. .

And finally I agree with las about the corelokts. I used them all the time until they stopped selling them here. VERY accurate in my 260.

I also think because the 260 has lower velocities that soft core and cup bullets work just fine. I know I have had no issues with bullet failure with almost 40 animals and counting. And I have had some catastrophic bullet failures with my 270 and 300 WM. I had to stop using sierra gamekings and ballistic tips in my 270 because at close range they did crazy things. I once blew a grapefruit sized hole in the shoulder of a deer with a 130g ballistic tip from the 270. It ran off and I had to kill it ugly. The same thing would not have happened if I had fired the same bullet at the lower velocities of the 260.

And thank you all for the advice, I now have the confidence to use the 260 rem on Afognak Elk. I'll let you know how it goes.

And as I said I've learned that the 300 win mag or 338 isn't ideal for elk either. I'm hoping I'll actually kill better with the 260 because I'll shoot better with it.

Not sure why you think the 300 and 338 aren't ideal for elk as I think they are. I have killed 11 or 12 bulls with a 300 Wby and found it never lacking. Most of those bulls were killed with 165 grain X bullets but I also used 200 grain Barnes originals, 200 grain hot cores and a 250 grain Barnes original. All were excellent bullets for elk. I never recovered an X bullet from an elk. I did recover a couple of the 200s in the far skin.

If recoil is your nemesis I can't understand that but it doesn't mean the 300s are not ideal for elk. The 260 is fine. The only other bullet I have used on really big stuff in the 260 is the 130 Accubond. It seemed to work fine on feral horses.

I normally hunt with a 7mm Rem Mag loaded with Hornady SST or Swift Scirroco. I bought my wife a .260 based off the reviews on the recoil. I have killed everything from Southern white tail to rocky Mountain elk, to mulies with the same 150gr bullet pushing 3100fps put of my 7 mag.

Well, this year I want to use the .260 to prove it's worth to myself. I bought 2 boxes of ammo and am wondering, what would you use? I have a box of Barnes TTSX in 120gr and Federal premiums with sierra gamekings in 140gr. I saw the bullet results thread and darn near 100% weight retention in the barnes intrigues me, however I know the gameking is a proven killer. Help me choose because I keep teetering either way.

I have noticed that being full copper, the 120gr Barnes TTSX is every bit as long as the 140gr. SGK. I have yet to hit the range with this .260 Rem though so we will see which ones it spits out better.

Just a sidenote, this is the thread that convinced me to buy a .260. I got a savage model 11 with the 1 in 8 twist. I'm working midnight shift right now but I am super excited to get it out to the range. It should be able to fill my idaho cow tag!

One of my hunting partners is seriously angry at me for wanting to hunt with the .260. He is saying he won't help me track an elk if I shoot it with a 260. Funny thing is, he never tracks or even packs out because he's a little primadonna baby. I have full faith a 120gr barnes ttsx will smoke a cow elk out to 300 yards no problems.

i have killed a grand total of 1 elk. it was a big cow at 300 yards with a 120 ttsx out of da 6.5 swede. worked very well. wife just killed a med size cow with a 6.5 creedmoor using a 130 nab it worked as well.

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" High Priest of the Church of Batchitt Crazy Bishes "